Removable pile for forming concrete piling.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1903.

F. SHUMAN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1903.

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REMOVABLE PILE EUR EORMING CONCRETE PILING.

l No. 733,286.

No MODEL,

UNITED STATES Patented July 7, 1903;' A

PATENT OEEICE.

FRANK SHUMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,286, dated July 7, 1903.

Application filed January 13, 1903- Serial No. 138,921. (No model.)

To all whom, it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SHUMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Removable Piles for Forming Concrete Piling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that method of forming piles of concrete or cement which consists in rst driving a preparatory pile into the ground, then withdrawing said preparatory pile, and then filling the opening formed thereby with fluid or plastic concrete or cement which when it becomes set will form the permanent pile.

The object of my invention is to so construct the preparatory pile that the same can be driven or withdrawn with the exercise of much less power than is required when piles of this class as heretofore constructed are used.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of a preparatory pile and point constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the character of the opening formed in the ground by said pile, and Fig. 2 is a View showing the permanent pile produced by filling said opening with cement or concrete after the preparatory pile has been withdrawn. l

For the purpose of forming in the ground openings for the reception of concrete or cement to constitute permanent piling the use of an ordinary wooden or metal pile of cylindrical form or tapering inwardly from top to bottom is objectionable, for the reason that the frictional hold of the earth upon the sides of the pile is such that said pile cannot be driven beyond a limited distance without the exercise of destructive force and cannot be withdrawn after being driven without the exercise of still greater force, the frictional hold of the earth `upon the pile being now assisted by atmospheric pressure, owing to the fact that the withdrawal of the pile tends to create a partial vacuum in the opening left thereby., For this reason various forms of collapsible piles have been proposed; but such piles, owing to their sectional character, are necessarily limited in strength, and, moreover, do not overcome the objection of resistance due to the frictional hold of the earth thereupon while they are being driven.

In carrying out my invention, therefore, I form on the pile or provide the pile with a point which is greater in diameter than the pile itself, so that the frictional hold of the earth both in driving and withdrawing the pile is restricted to the limited area presented by this expanded point, with the result that the pile can be driven to any desired depth without unduly increasing the frictional hold of the earth upon the pile and can also be withdrawn with the exercise ot' a relatively limited amount of power.

The pile shown in Fig. 1 consists of a metal tube, although it may be a solid pile of wood or metal, if desired, this pile being provided at the top with a suitable driving-head 2 and at the bottom with a point 3, which is of so much greater diameter than the pile l that there is no likelihood of the latter coming into contact to any material extent with the walls of the opening formed by driving the pile. The horizontal cross-section of the enlarged point approximates that of the body of the pile, but is of somewhat greater area. Hence the strains on the pile during the driving of the same are distributed with substantial equality about the periphery of the pile, and there is no tendency of the pile to detlect from its proper line.

The point 3 of the pile is reduced in diameter at the top, so as to provide a shoulder for engagement with the lower end of the pile, and this reduced portion of the point can be secured to the lower end of the pile by rivets 4: or other suitable fastenings, or, if desired, the pile and its point may be in one piece.

The point 3 has a tapered lower end and also by preference tapers from its portion of greatest diameter inwardly to the shoulder upon which rests the lower end of the pile l. Hence no abrupt shoulders are presented to Jthe earth either in driving or withdrawing the pile, the earth during the driving operation being displaced laterally by force, which is exerted evenly in all directions from the axial center of the pile, while the upper taper of the point serves in like manner to laterally press upon the walls of the opening when the pile is being withdrawn if said walls IOO or any portion of the same have been displaced inwardly after the point has passed the same in driving the pile.

The point 3 (shown in Fig. l) is hollow or should have an opening communicating with its lower end, so as to provide for the downward passage of air through the pile when the latter is being withdrawn, thus preventing the formation of any partial vacuum in the space below the point of the pile, and thereby relieving said point from any frictional contact of the walls of the opening thereupon due to atmospheric pressure.

Of course it will be understood that in withdrawing the pile the driving-head 2 is removed or other means are provided for permitting free ingress ot air to the interior ot the pile.

The'opening at the bottom of the point 3 is preferably provided with a valve opening downwardly,this valvein the presentinstance consisting of a detachable plug 5, which will be released as soon as the withdrawal of the pile is attempted.

The point 3 can be made of wood, iron, steel, concrete, combinations of the same, or, in fact, of any material which will withstand the shock of driving.

Where the relief-opening through the point is employed, said point may in forming openings in some kinds of ground be of the same diameter as the pile, for even in this case. the friction upon the pile due to atmospheric pressure in withdrawing the same is overcome.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other Iluid or plastic material, the within-described removable preparatory pile having an enlarged point which is removable with the pile, substantially as specified.

2. As a device for forming in the ground au opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other iiuid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having an opening extending through the point, whereby air can enter the space below the point as the pile is Withdrawn, substantially as specified.

3. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception ot concrete or other iiuid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having an opening therethrough, and a point secured to the pile and having a relief-opening therein, whereby air can enter the space below the point as the pile is withdrawn, substantially as speciiied.

4. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other tluid or plastic material, a removable pile having an opening therein which extends through the point, and a valve which closes said opening during the driving of the pile, substantially as specified.

5. As a device for forming in the ground an vsasse opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other iiuid or plastic material, a removable pile having an opening therethrough, a point secured to the pile and also havinga relief-opening therein, and a valve which closes said opening in the point during the driving of the pile, substantially as specified.

6. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other fluid or plastic material, a removable pile having an enlarged point, and an opening through which air can enter the space below the point of the pile as the latter is withdrawn, substantially as specified.

7. As a device for formingin the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other iiuid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having an opening therethrough and an enlarged point secured to said pile and also having a relief-opening therein through which air can enter the space below the point as the pile is withdrawn, substantially as specified.

S. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception ot' concrete or other fluid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having an enlarged point, an opening extending through the point of the pile, and a valve which closes said opening during the driving of the pile, substantially as specified.

9. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other fluid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having an opening therethrough, an enlarged point secured to the pile and also having a relief-openingA therein, and a valve which closes said reliefopening during the driving of the pile, substantially as specified.

l0. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other fluid or plastic material, a

.removable preparatory pile having its lower end enlarged so as to be of greater sectional area than the upper or body portion, the surface between the part of greater sectional area and the body of the pile being without extensions or projections, whereby the enlarged end can be freely withdrawn without injury to the walls of the opening formed during its descent, substantially as specified.

11. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other iiuid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having an enlarged point, and a tapering portion between the pile and the largest portion of the point, which tapering portion is continuous with the surface of the point and presents a smooth or unobstructed surface, incapable, when lifted, ot' catching upon or injuring the walls of the opening formed during the descent of the pile, substantially as specified.

l2. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other uid or plastic material, a

IOO

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removable preparatory pile having an enlarged point whose horizontal cross-section approximates that of the body of the pile but is of greater area, whereby the strains on the pile during the driving of the same will be distributed with substantial equality about its periphery, substantially as specified.

13. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other fluid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having a long body part-provided at the lower end with an enlarged point which tapers gradually both above and below the portion of greatest area, whereby said point, when driven downward, will effect a gradual lateral displacement of the earth, and when drawn upwardly, willnot injure the walls of the opening formed by its descent, substantially as specified.

14. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other iiuid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile having a long body terminating at the bottom in an enlarged head constituting the point, the said head, at its part of greatest diameter, being rigid and without movable parts, whereby it will form an opening of delinite area and can be freely withdrawn therefrom without injury to the walls of the same, substantially as specified.

15. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete 01 other iiuid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile consisting of a long tubular body combined with an enlarged head portion constituting the point, and removable with said tubular body, substantially as specified. I

16. As a device for forming in the ground an opening for the subsequent reception of concrete or other iiuid or plastic material, a removable preparatory pile consisting of a long tubular body combined with an enlarged head portion constituting the point, and a cap applied to the top of said tubular body, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK SHUMAN.

Witnesses:

F. E. BECHTOLD, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

